BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] Generally stated, provided herein is a technique for initiating an instant messaging (IM) session on a client/server paradigm and transforming the IM session into a peer-to-peer communication once information is exchanged that some or all chat participants are part of a same wireless network. Before describing certain embodiments of the technique in accordance with aspects of the present invention, various terms are defined:

[0019] Peer-to-Peer: Peer-to-peer is a communications model in which each party has similar capabilities and either party can initiate a communication session. Other models with which it might be contrasted include a client/server model and a master/slave model. In certain cases, peer-to-peer communications is implemented by giving each communication node both server and client capabilities. In recent usage, peer-to-peer has come to describe applications in which users can use the Internet to exchange files with each other directly or through a mediating server. However, in the context of the present invention, peer-to-peer is used to describe applications in which users can communicate with each other directly, without using a mediating server such as an IM server wired to a network.

[0020] Client/Server: Client/server describes the relationship between two computer programs in which one program, the client, makes a service request from another program, the server, which fulfills the request. Although the client/server idea can be used by programs within a single computer, it is more often used in a network. In a network, the client/server model provides a convenient way to interconnect programs that are distributed across different locations. Computer transactions using the client server model are very common. For example, to check a bank account from a personal computer, a client program in the computer forwards a request to a server program at the bank. That program may in turn forward the request to its own client program that sends a request to a database server at another bank computer to retrieve the account balance. The balance is returned back to the bank data client, which in turn serves it back to the client in the personal computer, which displays the information for the individual. The client/server model has become one of the central ideas of network computing. Most business applications written today use the client/server model. So does the Internet's main program TCP/IP. In marketing, the term has been used to distinguish distributed computing by smaller dispersed computers from the “monolithic” centralized computing of mainframe computers. But this distinction has largely disappeared as mainframes and their applications have also turned to the client/server model and become part of network computing.

[0021] In the usual client/server model, one server, sometimes called a daemon, is activated and awaits client requests. Typically, multiple client programs share the services of a common server program. Both client programs and server programs are often part of a larger program or application. Relative to the Internet, a Web browser is a client program that requests services, e.g., the sending of Web pages or files, from a Web server in another computer somewhere on the Internet. The Web server technically is called a Hypertext Transport Protocol or HTTP server. Similarly, a computer with TCP/IP installed allows a user to make client requests for files from File Transfer Protocol (FTP) servers in other computers on the Internet.

[0022] Other program relationship models include master/slave, with one program being in charge of all other programs, and peer-to-peer, with either of two programs able to initiate a transaction.

[0023] Piconet: A network of devices connected in an ad hoc fashion using direct connection wireless technology, such as Bluetooth technology. A piconet is formed when at least two devices, such as a portable PC and a cellular phone, connect. A Bluetooth-based piconet can today support up to eight devices. When a piconet is formed, one device acts as a master while the others act as slaves for the duration of the piconet connection. A piconet is sometimes called a PAN (i.e., Pico Area Network). “Piconet” is a combination of the prefix “pico”, meaning very small or one trillionth, and network. Broadly stated, a piconet is used herein to mean any wireless network with direct peer-to-peer capabilities. Typically, a piconet has a range characteristic and a frequency or bandwidth characteristic. The range refers to the distance with which, for example, the radio frequency signals may carry (with 300 feet being an example today), while frequency or bandwidth refers to the frequency at which users are communicating using their wireless devices. Further, a piconet can be established between the same type of wireless devices or different types of wireless devices.

[0024] Bluetooth Technology: The Bluetooth standard is an open wireless communication technology that forms small piconets. The Bluetooth standard is described in a publication by Brent A. Miller and Chatschik Bisdikian entitled “Bluetooth Revealed”, published by Prentice Hall, ISBN: 013090294-2 (2001), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0025] Jabber: Jabber is an open instant messaging program or protocol described, for example, by D. J. Adams in a publication entitled “Programming Jabber”, published by O'Reilly & Associates, ISBN 0596002025 (2001); and in an article by Doc Searls entitled, “The Next Bang: The Explosive Combination of Embedded Linux, XML and Instant Messaging” Linux Journal, No. 77 (September 2000), both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0026] Briefly described, with Jabber every user interacts through a local server that transfers messages to and through any number of other servers, each with its own domain. Jabber identifiers are also expressed like email: yourname@domain.com. Clients and servers converse among themselves through XML streams. In client/server conversations, the XML stream is always initiated by the client to the server. The architecture can support simple clients (e.g., a direct telnet connection) as well as AIM, ICQ and other proprietary clients. Since it is built on XML, Jabber is extensible and able to express just about any kind of structured data. Jabber's own protocol consists of XML fragments passed over XML streams between clients and servers. There are three primary protocols that define the basic types of XML fragments used in Jabber: Messages, Presence and Info/Query. Server-to-server communication involves routing these protocol elements over an XML stream from one server to another (there are no special server-to-server protocols or features). A Module API lets the server use external modules to handle message filtering, storage facilities (off-line messages, rosters, user info), user authentication and other functions. A Service API allows integration of security, special connections for alternate clients and message logging. Transport servers are used to bridge the Jabber protocol to other services, such as IRC, ICQ and AIM.

[0027] Instant Messaging: Instant messaging (IM) is a mode of communication which allows users to exchange information substantially synchronously. As noted initially, examples of internet-based instant messaging are Internet Relay Chat (IRC), America Online Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, VPBuddy, Sametime and Jabber. As a further detailed example, IRC protocol is discussed in an article by J. Oikarinen and D. Reed entitled: “Internet Relay Chat Protocol”, IETF (May, 1993).

[0028] FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a messaging environment, generally denoted 100 , wherein a wireless client, for example, client 1 110 , seeks to establish an instant messaging session with a second and/or third wireless client, for example, client 2 120 and/or client 3 130 . Conventionally, client 1 communicates through an access point 115 to a wired network 150 having an instant messaging (IM) server directory 160 connected thereto. Similarly, client 2 120 communicates through AP 125 with wired network 150 , while client 3 communicates in this example through an AP 135 with wired network 150 . In another embodiment, multiple clients could communicate through a same AP with the IM server directory of the wired network. Also, note that as used herein, a client can refer to an identity of a wireless device or identity of a wireless device plus a user thereof, depending upon whether the wireless devices are shared among users or are each proprietary to a particular user. The concepts of the present invention can be employed with either configuration.

[0029] FIG. 2 depicts an object of the present invention, that is, the establishing of a direct wireless IM communication 210 between wireless devices such as client 1 110 and client 2 120 belonging to a same piconet 200 . Examples for accomplishing this direct wireless IM connection are described below using the Bluetooth wireless communication standard as an example and XML based instant messaging (i.e., Jabber protocol).

[0030] As a conventional IM example, client 1 and client 2 would connect to an IM server and start a chat. The chat at this point includes only those two clients and all transactions are sent to the server which then forwards the transactions to the clients. The communications thus have the server in the middle:

[0031] client 1 ----(to client 2 , “How are you”)---->server------(from client 1 , “How are you”)---->client 2

[0032] client 1 <----(from client 2 , “Good”)------server<------(to client 1 , “Good”)----client 2

[0033] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, two or more clients might exchange their metadata, which in one example would be their respective Bluetooth Device Address (BD_ADDR) and Access Code (CAC,DAC)information. This data identifies a piconet that each client is a member of. The clients can then check to see if they are part of the same piconet, and if so, the clients can continue the IM communication in a direct, peer-to-peer mode, with the IM server no longer being used.

[0034] client 1 —---(to client 2 , “Now we are peers”)--->client 2

[0035] client 1 <---------------(from client 2 , “Yes”)-----client 2

[0036] FIG. 3 depicts one example of processing implemented in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. This processing, generally denoted 300 , allows a client to query an instant messaging server for device address and access code information on one or more partner clients in a same piconet, thereby allowing the client to establish direct wireless instant messaging communication with the partner client(s). Processing begins 310 with the client connecting to an IM server 315 . The client then transmits its own device address and access code information to the server 320 and requests that the server provide information on available clients 325 . The client receives the available client information from the server 330 and parses the information to determined whether a partner client is in a same piconet 335 . If not, then the existing client/server based instant messaging approach can be employed for communications between the clients 340 .

[0037] Assuming that the partner client is in the same piconet, then the client establishes direct wireless communication to the partner client 345 and begins to transmit a message to the partner client 350 . The partner client may itself communicate a message back to the client 355 . This instant messaging communication continues as long as data 360 continues to be generated for sending. Once the instant messaging session is complete, the wireless peer-to-peer connection is terminated 365 .

[0038] FIG. 4 depicts one example for establishing an IM session using the process of FIG. 3 , wherein a wireless peer-to-peer communication is established between client 1 and client 2 of FIG. 1 by initially using the IM server directory. As shown in FIG. 4 , the process 400 begins with client 1 initializing a connection to the IM server and transmitting its device address and access code information to the server. Client 1 then requests available client information from the IM server and receives device address and access code information on the available clients from the server. Thereafter, and assuming that the clients belong to the same piconet, client 1 can establish a piconet connection with a desired partner client, such as client 2 in order to directly send a wireless instant message communication from client 1 to client 2 . Once the peer-to-peer connection is established, the IM communication can proceed back and forth between the wireless clients.

[0039] One embodiment for establishing a piconet connection from client 1 to client 2 using Jabber is presented below by way of example: 1

[0040] Various modes of communication using the concepts of the present invention and implemented using the Jabber protocol, are presented below.

[0041] Shift from client server to peer-to-peer: This example assumes three clients are connected to a server. Two of the clients are in the same piconet, while the third client and the server are in the wired Internet. Below is an example of client 1 authenticating to the server. The communication used is a TCP/IP socket initiated by the client to the server. The server accepts the network request and the following XML is exchanged from the client's point of view. 2

[0042] This is almost the standard authentication protocol. The SEND line <piconet_id>is added to provide information on the piconet this client currently is residing in. The second client is also authenticating with the server and also provides a piconet id. The third client authenticates as well but omits the line with the piconet id information since client 3 is a wired client. The server now has information about client 1 , client 2 and client 3 in its roaster, including the piconet_id for client 1 and client 2 . The roaster thus contains the available client information discussed above.

[0043] Note that a Bluetooth access code comprises a 4 byte preamble, a 64 byte sync word and a 4 byte trailer. The channel access code is an access code that identifies a piconet. This code is included in all packets exchanged on the piconet. Using the algorithm in the Bluetooth Baseband specification, a programer can test the channel access codes to find out if they are using the same piconet.

[0044] Client/Server example: A user 1 on client 1 gets the roaster from the server with a list of all active clients. From that list user 1 selects client 3 and user 3 to start an instant messaging chat with. Client 1 application compares the piconet_id of client 3 with its own piconet_id and finds out that the client 3 does not share the same piconet. Client 1 then uses the socket communication to the server to send the following XML: 3

[0045] The server receives the stream, parses it and delivers it to client 3 who will receive: 4

[0046] Peer-To-Peer example: A user 1 on client 1 obtains the roaster from the server with a list of all active wireless clients. From that list user 1 selects client 2 and user 2 to start an instant messaging chat with. The client application compares the piconet_id of client 2 with its own piconet_id and finds a match. A new communication socket is established that is based on piconet communication only. Client 2 accepts this network request and client 1 proceeds to use the newly established socket to send the following XML: 5

[0047] Client 2 receives the stream, parses it and displays the message to user 3 . The IM chat then continues over the established peer-to-peer communication path.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer usable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately.

[0049] Additionally, at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided.

[0050] The flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples. There may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps (or operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a differing order, or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention.

[0051] Although preferred embodiments have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.